Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Art Wander, a beloved sports broadcasting legend in Western New York, died Wednesday night surrounded by his family. He was 98-years-old.
His daughter, Kelley Clem, said Wander was discussing New York Mets baseball with her just the night before his passing. He died with a Buffalo Bills blanket on his bed, a Mets banner nearby, and Frank Sinatra’s "My Way" playing on his Alexa, which she says he affectionately called "Alaska."
Wander served in the U.S. Navy, producing radio programs for the Veterans Administration hospital system. In 1956, he joined WKBW radio as a news reporter.
He left Buffalo for New York City in the early 1960s. During the 1970s, Wander programmed radio stations in Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Baltimore, Atlanta, Tampa, Dayton, and Memphis. He helped launch the careers of national hosts Rick Dees and ESPN’s Dan Patrick.
Wander returned to Buffalo in the 1980s as a radio programmer, and on-air personality at WGKT 1400 AM.
Known as the "Tiny Tot of the Kilowatt" and "Artie Baby Boo-Boo", Wander’s popularity grew after Bills general manager Bill Polian mentioned him during a "get out of town" tirade at a Bills quarterback luncheon in 1989.
In the early 1990s, Wander became the afternoon drive call-in host on WGR 550 before joining the Empire Sports Network.
Wander was inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2008.
He is survived by his daughter Kelley, son Scott, and granddaughter Angela.